This invention relates generally to the field of determining postal charges for mail pieces and more particularly to determining the thickness of mail pieces for dimension-based postal-rating schemes.
In the operation of many postal authorities, the postal charges assessed for carriage of mail pieces are based on the weight of the mail pieces. As used herein, mail pieces can include letters, postcards, flats, parcels or the like. However, alternative schemes have been proposed in which postal charges may also be based on dimensions of the mail pieces, including the thickness. To facilitate operation of such schemes, it has been proposed to automatically measure the thickness of mail pieces using sensors that contact the mail pieces. However, such mechanisms may prove to be inaccurate or unreliable, or may be prone to jamming as mail pieces are transported past the sensors.